HMS TB 4, originally named HMS Sandfly, was a Cricket-class coastal destroyer built by J. Samuel White between 1905 and 1907. Measuring 178 feet in length overall and 175 feet between perpendiculars, she had a beam of 17 feet 6 inches and a draft of approximately 6 feet 1.5 inches. Displacing around 247 long tons at normal load, her design prioritized cost-effective coastal operations. The vessel was powered by two oil-fueled Yarrow water-tube boilers feeding three Parsons steam turbines, which drove three propeller shafts, delivering a total of 3,600 shaft horsepower and achieving a speed of 26 knots. Her armament comprised two 12-pounder guns and three 18-inch torpedo tubes, with a crew complement of 39 men. She was launched on 30 October 1906 and completed by April 1907. Initially named HMS Sandfly, she was later renamed TB 4 following a Royal Navy reclassification that designated coastal destroyers as torpedo boats identified by numbers. TB 4 served primarily as a tender at Portsmouth and participated in various flotilla operations, including a cruise in the Portsmouth area in 1907 and salvage support after the sinking of the destroyer Blackwater in 1909. She also conducted final sea trials on the destroyer Tigress in 1912 and was assigned to different flotillas, including the 8th, 7th, 9th, and 6th, reflecting her active role in coastal defense and patrol duties. During World War I, TB 4 was stationed with the Dover Patrol, engaging in patrol and escort duties along the English coast. Notably, on 17 November 1915, she participated in rescuing approximately 140 survivors from the hospital ship Anglia, which had struck a mine. She also engaged German torpedo boats during raids in 1917, reporting sightings and attempting to intercept enemy vessels in support of Allied defenses. After the war, TB 4 was placed in reserve at Devonport and was listed for sale by early 1920. She was sold for scrap to Thos. W. Ward in October 1920 but ran aground en route to the scrapyard on 11 January 1921. The vessel was subsequently broken up in situ, marking the end of her service. Her career highlights her role as an economical yet active participant in coastal naval operations during the early 20th century and WWI.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.